It is often desirable to have a computer-based instrument that is attractive, user-friendly, and relatively easy to construct. However, a standard personal computer is often not capable of performing a specific application without using auxiliary devices that have to be coupled to the personal computer in a way that is complicated and/or unattractive. For example, it has become common to connect a personal computer by cables to an auxiliary electronic container which holds the specific electronics for the desired application, which are not found in a typical personal computer, such as separate special power supplies, sensor systems such as optical, magnetic, sonic, and/or chemical sensors, strain gauges, process control units, temperature sensors, and any other desired application specific hardware and/or software for a specific application. Other features that may be required are a keyboard, a video camera, a scanner, additional storage media, additional connectors, and other computer peripheral equipment for application-specific needs.
In the state of the art, these auxiliary containers may comprise xe2x80x9clunch boxesxe2x80x9d and rack mounted computers. However there are many applications not suited for such auxiliary containers, since they may need to operate in an environment where the computer needs to be aesthetically appealing and/or unitarily connected without the visible connection through wires or cables.
Such devices having these requirements may comprise medical instruments, equipment for private consumers, public access information systems, transportation based computer systems in vehicles, security application computers, consumer specialty equipment, and equipment that operates in difficult environments such as out-of-doors. Such devices are desirably unitary in their construction, rather than comprising a pair of containers connected by wires and cables, which might be tampered with by the users, separated, or the like. Also, cables connecting separate containers can become separated causing the computer to fail, perhaps in an environment where the users are very busy or very unknowledgeable about computers, and thus are not capable of resecuring the cables.
Nevertheless, because of the rapid change in the information age, there always is a need to have the capability for easy modification of computer systems. Despite providing a unitary device, the instruments of this invention are highly modifiable, with application specific hardware of the auxiliary module being capable of easy modification and even complete replacement, without the need to replace the basic computer.
By this invention, an instrument is provided which comprises a first module and a second module. The respective modules each generally comprise housings having computer electronics hardware including a display screen which is carried by one of the housings. The modules are separable from each other.
One of the modules carries a projecting bus for connection into the other module. The bus defines a plurality of sockets for removably receiving circuit boards (or the like) of desired variable types for direct connection with electronics within the other module, and for connection with electronics of the one module through the bus. Thus, the instrument is easily modified in its functioning by addition, subtraction, or replacement of circuit boards from the bus.
Preferably, the display screen comprises a flat panel display. It is also preferable for the first module to carry the flat panel display screen and at least substantially enough computer electronic hardware to comprise an operating computer. The second module then serves as the auxiliary, module, carrying application specific hardware for use in conjunction with the operating computer of the first module.
Also, the first module preferably carries the projecting bus, in which the bus comprises a planar member, such as a backplane. The planar member may have a plurality of electrically conductive lines, for separate communication of signals between electronic hardware located in the first and second modules.
The bus or planar member may define a plurality of slots, corresponding to the sockets described above, which slots are electrically connected to the electrically conductive lines. At least some of the slots are positioned within the second module when the first and second modules are connected with each other, with the bus carried by the first module projecting through an aperture into the second module to accomplish this. At least one circuit board or the like of the application specific hardware in the second module can then be removably connected with one of that plurality of slots.
The first module may also comprise an upper enclosure portion which carries the preferable flat panel display screen. The upper enclosure portion is connected to the remainder of the housing of the first module by a hinged system, to permit the upper enclosure portion to be pivoted upwardly to expose the interior of the first module, and then to be pivoted downwardly into closed position enclosing the electronics of the first module.
Thus, the instrument of this invention comprises a computer based, embedded instrument platform which is modular and configurable, and extensible in design and implementation. The first module, which preferably comprises a functioning computer, may be called the display, input and processing unit (DIPU), and comprises an enclosure which typically encompasses at least a major portion of the platform processing unit. A display unit and a user input unit may comprise a touch screen, a set of soft keys adjacent to the display unit, and/or a plug-in or integrated keyboard. A pointing device such as a mouse, track ball, or touch pointing device may also be used.
In the most sparse system configuration, the DIPU stands alone, providing additional computer board slots through the bus into which application-specific circuitry can be inserted if and as needed in the form of custom circuit boards.
In a multi-module configuration, the DIPU may be connected to the second module, known as the application-specific circuitry unit (ASCU). Alternatively, it may comprise the user""s instrumentation enclosure (of any size) with a portion of the DIPU projecting into the user-provided enclosure (corresponding to the second module).
The ASCU (second module) may be user designed and configured, or it may be one which comes from a manufacturer. The DIPU and the ASCU (first and second modules) may be attached rigidly to each other, with the bus projecting preferably from the DIPU, through an aperture into the ASCU. Thus, circuit boards and the like may be inserted into the bus within the ASCU so that such circuit boards, even though they are within the ASCU (second module), may become an effective, integral part of the electronics of the first module (DIPU) without using cables or wires for connection.
As previously stated, the bus may comprise a backplane projecting into the second module. For example, the backplane may be replaceable by another having a different number of slots for receiving respective circuit boards. Some of the slots may occupy the interior of the first module. Another of the slots may occupy the interior of second module. For example, the first module (DIPU) may contain four of the slots, and the attached second module may have access to three slots of the backplane or bus within its interior, or any desired number of slots. Because of this flexibility, much or most of the hardware of the system of this invention will resist obsolescence, since various components can be replaced, for example the bus, to receive different numbers of circuit boards as may be desired. The individual circuit boards may correspondingly be replaced to preserve the utility of the remaining components. Also, if desired, the entire second module may be replaced with a new second module and newly contained electronics, while the first module and its components remain usable without obsolescence.
Thus, by this invention, a flexible and easy integration of new electronic hardware with existing equipment is provided, as well as the easy construction of complete, new instrument systems which are both cosmetically appealing and deployable into environments which are not suited for multiple module or housing configurations connected with wires or cables, including the types of uses described above.